


Not Exactly how I Like my Coffee

by Clovermun



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: AND SANDWICHES, Cause I sure do, Don't forget the sandwiches, Gen, Gore, Hallucinations, Hallucinogens, Hope you like eldritch horror, I just had an idea and decided why the hell not, Knowing me this is gonna get pretty gory and descriptive so just a warning, Lots of it, Psychological Horror, Ratings and stuff will probably change as this goes on, Seeing as I have no idea where this story is going, yup it got gory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-16 11:45:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11828076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clovermun/pseuds/Clovermun
Summary: Doctor Flug creates a powerful hallucinogen to sell. The only issue? They don't have any test subjects on hand.





	1. 7:21 AM

“ **Flug! Is the damned concoction ready?!** ”

A familiar voice shouted from down the hall, nearly making the doctor drop the test tube he was holding. Luckily he had just finished corking it so nothing was spilled. This was making him extremely grateful that he had decided to wake up so early this morning. Had he not, he wouldn’t have been done by now. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about what Black Hat would have done had he not been finished. Flug had learned that it was best to have projects completed several hours before the ‘official’ deadline. He tucked the test tube into his pocket and rushed towards the voice.

“Y-Yes sir!”

In his rush he nearly crashed into his boss, screeching to a halt with their faces mere inches apart. Black Hat brushed some imaginary dust off of his suit and stared Flug down until he took a step back.

“ **Watch where you're going, Doctor.** ”

Flug mumbled a quick “yessir” before stepping back into the lab and heading towards a counter near the center of the room. He all but jumped when Demencia leaped down from the ceiling, though in all honesty he shouldn't have been all that surprised that she was making sure to be in the close vicinity of her long time crush. She probably tailed him everywhere, come to think of it. Well, save for his office. Nobody but Black Hat and his clients ever went into that room, which left its contents completely up to the imagination. Flug had heard Demencia’s ‘brilliant’ notions of what it contained several times, all of which ranged from audaciously lewd to levels of horror and gore that almost made him want to wreak some havoc himself.

“ **Have you tested it yet?** ”

Black Hat’s voice interrupted the doctor’s train of thought. Flug shook his head fervently. 

“N-No sir. We d-don't have any test subjects on hand and 505 wouldn't b-be very easy to observe so I wasn't s-sure what to-”

“ **SUFICIENTE!** ”

The eldritch shouted, voice growing in volume as his body morphed into some horrific writhing mass of eyes, mouths and weaponry. Demencia all but swooned. Flug, however, was effectively silenced with his arms held protectively in front of his face.

“ **I don't have time for your blubbering. Demencia! Take this.** ”

He snatched the test tube from Flug’s pocket and held it out, the lizard hybrid grabbing it eagerly and turning it over in her palm. 

“ _ What’s it do? _ ”

Flug’s eyes widened beneath his bag and he spoke in a panicked voice. 

“Oh nonononono. She's bad enough as it is. And lord knows what she'd see! Isn't she already enough of a hassle to deal with?”

Black Hat’s eye narrowed, but he swiftly regained possession of the tube. The girl whined at the loss, having wanted to be useful for once, but didn’t protest. 

“ **Then what do you suggest? I certainly won't be your test subject. You do realize who’s left, do you not?** ”

Flug gulped. If he hadn’t before he certainly did now. The doctor wound his hands together, body quaking like a leaf as he tried not to panic. He was already high strung as an E on a daily basis, and now it was about to get even worse! Though, did he really have any other choice? This product was supposed to be out a few days from now, and they certainly didn't have the time to gather any test subjects before then. He reached out with a trembling hand and uncorked the test tube. Oh, he was going to regret this. He knew very well it was bitter enough to trigger his weak gag reflex so he reluctantly poured it into his coffee and sloshed it around to mix it. Both Demencia and Black Hat shot him strange looks but didn't question it. 

“Just make sure I d-don't cause too much damage…”

He murmured, then downed the drink. The tube had been filled with precisely the amount he had calculated for the average human body, so he knew he couldn't have possibly overdosed. He wasn't going to die. Not from  _ that _ , at least. 

“ **How long does this last, exactly?** ”

“T-Twenty four hours, sir. As you requested.”

Black Hat tapped his chin thoughtfully then nodded.

“ **Come to my office if you show any signs of this working. I'll place you wherever I deem fit for proper surveillance.** ”

Flug muttered a quick thanks and turned to find a notepad and pen to write down observations. 

_ [7:21 AM. Experiment 18402 ingested. No observable effects.] _

He nearly dropped the objects when he heard a voice just behind him.

“ _ Sooo are you going to go bonkers on me or something? _ ”

Flug scowled, though it was hidden behind his bag. 

“No, I'm not going to go ‘bonkers’. I'll still be perfectly coherent.”

“ _ But you'll be seeing spooooky apparitions~ _ ”

She wiggled her fingers for emphasis, grinning. When Flug didn't respond she frowned a little. 

“ _ Did I read your notes wrong? _ ”

The girl held up a paper, examining it. Flug quickly snatched it from her grasp, nearly tearing it with the sheer force and shoving it into a nearby drawer.

“You read them just fine. But I know they won't be real. I'm not an idiot.”

“ _ You say that~ _ ”

She teased, walking her fingers across his shoulders and sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. That just made her cackle. Back to his usual self, it seemed. 

“ _ You're not gonna be running down the halls from some scary monster? _ ”

Flug couldn't help but laugh.

“I  _ work _ for s-some scary monster!”

“ _ Then what’re you gonna be seeing, a sandwich? _ ”

The doctor visibly tensed, his gaze as piercing as someone with the terror level of a cotton ball could be. Essentially, not very much. The goggles and bag cut off almost any emotion that could possibly be detected in his expression anyways, so it wasn’t truly worth the effort. He just sighed and returned to his notepad, trying to think of something else to write down. Of course, he had nothing. Either the effects hadn’t set in yet or this was a complete failure--more likely the former than the latter. As brilliant as the inventor may be, his anxiety got in the way of success far more than he and his boss would like. In the meantime Flug decided to begin working on whatever new invention Black Hat had in store for him. Demencia seemed to have gotten bored of him for now. He shuffled through various stacks of paperwork until he found the most recent commission. It was a more modern iteration of thumbscrews that was easily reversible--capable of healing the victim so they could receive the same treatment over and over again until they grew numb to it or their torturer got bored. Habitually he checked the clock on the wall. 7:32 AM. It had been about ten minutes. He jotted the time down on the pad along with another note of ‘no observable effects’. Now he just had to construct a simple thumbscrew. That shouldn’t be too bad. He pulled out a fresh sheet of blueprint paper and grabbed a white pencil to start sketching. 

Things were going great for a while until he began to redraw lines that he could’ve sworn had been there a few moments before. He must just be tired from waking up early. Wait… no, he had drank coffee earlier. Maybe the potion messed with it? Flug decided to shake it off and keep going. Even so he jotted down the observation. Or at least, tried to.

_ [7:53 AM. Lines disappearing on paper?] _

He went over the letters until he could read them well enough and nodded in satisfaction. Now he could get back to work. Strangely enough it didn’t quite occur to him that someone possibly under the influence of hallucinogens shouldn’t be working in a lab with chemicals, electronics and sharp objects. He was a mad scientist after all. Why would he think of these things? He deemed himself responsible enough to keep going, and that was that. It was probably a lie, but it was his decision nonetheless.

“ _ Heeeey Fluggy! _ ”

Came an enthusiastic voice from just over his shoulder. Flug jumped and turned around only to see nothing. Maybe she had been calling to him from down the hallway and his bag had altered his hearing slightly.

“What is it, Demencia?”

He called out.

“ _ Huh? I didn’t say anything. _ ”

Demencia was perched atop a cabinet just above him, having been watching his work this entire time. 

“ _ That blueprint is just a buncha scribbles, by the way. _ ”

Flug’s sour expression returned beneath his bag and goggles.

“And you didn’t think to mention that until just now?”

He snapped.

“ _ Nope! _ ”

The doctor just huffed and gathered up his notepad and pen--though any further notes would most likely be as illegible as his blueprint apparently was--and headed down the hall towards Black Hat’s notorious office. He heard a telltale skittering behind him but chose to ignore it. Naturally Demencia was eager to get a peek at anything belonging to their boss. Flug halted in front of the elaborate double doors and paused for a moment. He’d never stop being absolutely terrified of Black Hat, that was for sure. Eventually he managed to muster his courage and knocked. 

“ **It’s unlocked.** ”

Came the simple, gravelly reply.

“ **Come in. Demencia, do your best to stay out of my way.** ”

Demencia whined in response, pouting. Slowly she complied and retreated down the hallway. Of course she listened to him. She’d cut off a leg if he asked her to, for fuck’s sake.

Once she had gone completely, Flug rested a slightly trembling hand on the doorknob and stepped inside. He could only imagine what was going to happen once he crossed the border.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---Translations---
> 
> "Suficiente!" - Enough!


	2. 8:05 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Black Hat gets more information than he asked for... but not in the way that he expected.

“ **Just come in already. I'm not going to devour you alive or something.** ”

Black Hat grumbled, a narrowed eye watching Flug hesitate with one foot just inside the entrance as the other continued to fumble with the doorknob. The scientist quickly nodded and made his way inside in a hurry. He stopped in his tracks when he saw what was inside. It wasn't some godforsaken hellhole like he had imagined it to be. The room was immaculate, with rich red curtains and carpets the color of blood accompanied by rosewood furniture and chairs with plush cushions. In the far corner was what was most likely the largest and most comfortable bed in the entire manor.

“ **Are you just going to stand there gawking? What happened to bring you here?** ”

The eldritch snapped, causing Flug's head to whip around to face him. 

“I-I’m- I mean- I- I was j-just surprised that you- um- I-”

“ **SHUT UP AND ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION, FLUG!** ”

Black Hat slammed his fists down on the table with a loud clang, causing Flug’s arms to fly up to guard his face. His entire body trembled and he whimpered for several moments before realizing the other wasn't going to hurt him. Slowly his arms lowered and he managed a response. 

“N-Not much, th-things just started d-disappearing and I couldn't write properly, and I heard D-Demencia talk to me when she didn't say anything. That was it! I s-swear!”

His employer rolled his eyes.

“ **Flug. I’m not in the mood to hurt you right now, so stop acting like it. Sit down. You'll be staying in here unless the symptoms get out of hand. But regardless, I'm going to be with you to make sure you don't hurt yourself like a damned fool. Got it? I’m making sure you** **_don’t_ ** **get hurt. So calm down.** ”

Flug hesitated for what must've been the hundredth time that day. He took out his notepad and started to write, but Black Hat snatched it from him. He scrambled to regain it but to no avail. 

“ **You just told me you can barely write. I'll take notes as I deem fit. Tell me everything that happens, whether you think it's real or not.** ”

Nodding, Flug slowly sank into the chair across from Black Hat and sat there in relative silence. He didn't have much to do now that he had forfeited work, his lack of free time giving him zero chances to consider taking up any hobbies. Then again, his mind probably wouldn't be giving him any rest. A soft ‘baroo?’ came from just behind him and he turned around. 

“Yes 50-........ 5…..”

The words fizzled out on his tongue as he realized that once again nobody was there. Was this really the extent of the hallucinations? Hearing and seeing mundane things that didn't really exist? That was just a minor inconvenience. Maybe he'd have to make it stronger. Flug turned back to look at Black Hat and- oh. Oh, okay then. 

“B-B-Black Hat you d-don’t have t-to shapeshift you know th-this is already bad enough!”

The amalgamation stared at him unblinkingly, countless mouths snarling ferally as saliva dribbled from them and mixed with whatever slimy substance coated each thrashing tentacle that surrounded them. Bones jutted out at odd angles, shifting and ripping through rippling muscle to protrude into the open air. Shadows darted through Flug’s periphery and he swore he could feel cold breath on the back of his neck. When he turned around to see what it was, there was nothing. By the time he turned back a very pissed off and completely normal looking Black Hat had taken the horror’s place. 

“ **Are you done panicking now, idiota? I've been sitting here with a notepad this whole time. I didn't do anything. While I may enjoy your suffering from time to time and am of course delighted to see that your potion works, there's only so much fear I can handle before the scent becomes intoxicatingly unbearable.** ”

Flug glared from beneath his bag and goggles, though it was difficult to tell.

“It wasn’t  _ my _ idea to take the serum!”

He snapped, digging his gloved fingernails into the arms of his chair.

“ **Tonto estúpido! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!** ”

Black Hat snarled, pale green teeth bared. Flug brought his hands in front of his face and trembled madly, shrinking into his chair. Slowly the eldritch relaxed back into his seat and his expression returned to its neutral state of mild annoyance.

“ **Don’t talk back to me again. You should know better than this.** ”

Flug barely even processed the words as he babbled apologies and begged for his life. Black Hat paid it no mind. It was just the usual, after all. The scientist felt a cold hand on his shoulder and yelped, whipping around. There was nothing. Voices swirled around him, countless voices he had heard before and the violence that followed. 

_ Fear not, Doctor! I shall save you! _

_ You don't have to worry anymore! _

_ I have come to free you from your horrific monster of a captor! _

The proclamations and screams continued. The screams he didn't mind at all. If anything they were a little reassuring. But the words bugged him beyond expressing. He clutched at his head, trying to block them out. His bag crumpled under the tight grip of his gloved fingers. 

“I d-don't need to be saved… stop… stop… I'll- I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Leave m-me alone!”

“ **Flug, who’s-** ”

“I DON’T CARE THAT HE HURTS ME! BLACK HAT IS A VILLAIN! WE’RE FUCKING  _ VILLAINS _ !”

His employer blinked in surprise. The voices, whoever or whatever they may be… they were talking about him? He jotted down a few notes.

_ [8:34 AM. Voices trying to save him from me? Flug is resisting.] _

Flug was losing his grasp on reality, thrashing in his chair as if trying to escape nonexistent bindings. Alright, it was time to move him. This was getting out of hand. 

 

\---

 

The eldritch tapped his dress shoe on the cold, padded floor irritably as he just watched Flug thrash around. It was mildly entertaining, he had to admit. If not utterly baffling. The hallucinations were meant to target the fear centers of the brain, but all Flug had been talking about was Black Hat. Not that he was afraid of him, no… it was something else. 

_ [8:40 AM. Flug seemed extremely distressed when moving rooms. Said nobody could take him away. From what?] _

From him? He was still puzzled by it. Why would the doctor be so attached to someone that hurt him so much? ‘We’re villains’ may be an explanation, but it wasn't exactly an excuse. Black Hat couldn't deny that it was a pleasant surprise to hear that Flug didn't want to be taken away. Though of course that was just because he was one of the highest ranking scientists Black Hat had ever known! There were no other motives there. He scowled. It was only when Flug crashed into him and started clawing at his face that he was brought back to attention. He snatched up the man’s wrists and slammed him into the wall, ignoring his kicking and screaming.

“ **And I thought you were smart.** ”

He muttered, finding the cuffs that were attached firmly to the wall and locking them around Flug’s wrists. Once he was satisfied with the restraints he pulled up a chair and sat down again. 

_ [8:48 AM. He has lost his grip on reality. No chances of communication. Chained to wall for safety. Moreso his than my own.] _


	3. 9:00 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demencia starts to get worried, and boy does she have a lot to get worried about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes into Flug's POV quite a bit in the second half (aka there's lots of fckn gore) so be warned!

Demencia was getting concerned. It had been over an hour and a half. Flug was nowhere to be seen. She had even knocked on the door to Black Hat’s office, and nobody answered. She didn't get anything when she tried to eavesdrop either. Where could he be? Maybe she shouldn't have said anything about his blueprints. Then at least she'd know where he was and what was going on. But now she was completely in the dark--something she hated above all.  _ Nobody _ should be able to pull the wool over her eyes, especially when it was something that had to do with the people she--though seldom would she admit it--held dear! After investigating the hallways for a while she ran into the familiar blue bear. Quite literally. Not exactly Black Hat or Flug, but maybe he could help her out. 

“ _ Have you seen Flug? _ ”

She questioned, but got a simple head shake. Demencia frowned before a wicked grin suddenly stretched across her face, showcasing her sharp canines. 

“ _ Let’s go look for them! It can be a secret mission! _ ”

505 looked at her patronizingly, to which she sighed. 

“ _ I know, I know. You're not exactly secretive. But it'll be fun! Pretty pleeease? _ ”

She clasped her hands together and looked up at him with her signature puppy eyes. Naturally, he caved in. He knew she wouldn't let up no matter what. Demencia clapped her hands together with glee, all but vibrating with excitement like a broken children’s toy. She immediately jumped up onto the walls and began to scuttle around the mansion in search of rooms that she hadn’t looked into yet, 505 barely keeping up with her. In fact, it wasn’t very long until he got lost. He continued to wander, though this time in search of Demencia. Eventually he found a part of the manor he had surprisingly never noticed before. Then again places shifted at Black Hat’s whim all the time. No wonder he got lost so easily. This must've been a new hallway. 505 hesitantly crossed the border between the place he knew and the place he did not. Of course, nothing particularly interesting or threatening happened. No multidimensional portal opened, no monsters appeared, it was just a normal hallway. Well, that was a relief. The first door that he came across looked extremely heavy and though clearly dented from the inside still held strong. He pawed at the door but received no answer, deciding to sit down in front of it and just wait. For what, he didn't know. But wait he would. 

Demencia on the other hand didn’t seem to have noticed 505’s absence at all. She leaped from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, poking and prodding at any object or piece of furniture large or interesting enough to be of any importance. If there was a secret entrance or room in the manor she most likely would have known about it--in fact she knew of several--but perhaps a new one had been made since then, as dubious as that may be. It was only when she had passed by the exact same collection of paintings and trophies that she realized she was completely and utterly lost. Something in this area had been altered and she’d be stuck there until she figured out exactly what. The vents had been leading her to the same place, so they must’ve been closed up in some sort of loop. But then, how did she get there? Was there some invisible portal? She had absolutely no idea. The hybrid turned around to ask her accomplice if he remembered anything, only to realize that he had completely disappeared.   
“ _ 505? _ ” 

She called out. No response. Alright, this was fine. She was just trapped alone in some unfamiliar part of the house, with no known escape route. Perfectly fine.

 

\---

 

“Please, please… l-let me go…”

Flug had collapsed against the wall in exhaustion, his voice hoarse and his wrists red from straining against his cuffs. His eyes were too tired to cry. He needed water, but there was no way in hell he’d beg his captors for any. Besides, they were too busy doing their… ‘heroic deeds’. He felt sick from watching them though normally sights like these would give him pleasure. He could taste bile in the back of his throat and it wouldn't surprise him if he had already vomited all over himself which only added to his repulsion. He didn't know how much longer he could handle this. It was disgusting. Abhorrent. Screams filled the air as several heroes restrained a familiar villain rival, who thrashed and bellowed with anger. The wretched smell of blood was all that he could sense. Mutilated organs spilled out of the man’s chest and onto the floor into a pool of blood and god knows what else. Chunks of flesh rained down onto the ground like someone had put a cheese grater to his insides. How he was alive, Flug could only wonder. He was beginning to ask himself if this could even get any worse. He had already been forced to endure the sickening squelches and muffled screams of disgust as the villain was forced to devour his own tongue, the cracking and snapping of ribs to get to his delicate insides, the choked sobs when the contents of his stomach were forced up as they filled it with sand… it was no doubt the doing of some fucked up superpower that kept the poor thing alive through it all. Yeah, ‘thing’. It was easier to not think of it as a person anymore. It hurt just a little less. 

“Why… why… why…”

Was the only word that escaped his lips. Just loud enough to be heard over the screams were the soft voices from some unknown source, telling him this was all his fault. The villain was tossed aside like a doll only to be exchanged for a new one. One that he recognized all too well. The smooth grey skin, the glint of his monocle… the red silk ribbon around his top hat. God, couldn’t this just be over already? Couldn’t it just be  _ his _ turn?

“B-Black-”

His voice came out hoarse and almost inaudible, before words suddenly rocketed out of his mouth. It felt like his throat was being shredded apart from the inside. 

“BLACK HAT!”

His outcries were met with a vicious, antagonistic silence from both parties. It wasn’t even clear if Black Hat himself was conscious. Flug thrashed in his restraints once again with no effect, but his desperation ripped away any sensations of fatigue or futility. His wrists felt like they were burning, fingertips long since having lost all feeling from the lack of blood. He could barely move them and he didn’t much care. In a last ditch attempt to escape he let his legs collapse, putting all the strain he could on the cuffs around his wrists. Maybe it would break his fingers, or reveal just enough space for his hands to slip out. Something. Anything. But no, there was no effect other than his body dangling helplessly just mere inches above the ground. He scrabbled for purchase only for his shoes to meet air and nothing else. He was stuck like this now. Flug’s cries no longer made any sense. He had lost all grasp on any humanoid tongue, exchanging it for garbled begging and screaming that rivaled even the heroes’ shouting. Still, Black Hat’s eye didn’t open. It was only when the cuts on the eldritch’s body stopped healing that he noticed the collar around his neck. His powers. His powers had been taken away somehow. Flug just had to get the collar off! This renewed the scientist’s struggles, and he tried not to focus on what was going on. He had had enough already. He couldn’t deal with seeing the horror anymore. He just had to convince himself this was all some terrible nightmare. That it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. How had he even gotten here?! Everything was a blur in his head, combining into swirls of noise and the ever present rattling of chains as he tugged and squirmed against them in an attempt to get his feet on the ground again for some sort of leverage. He wanted so badly to cry out, to tell them to take him instead. Anyone but Black Hat. Anyone.

Finally his feet hit the floor and he pushed himself up to a standing position. It seemed that struggling against any of the bonds was useless, so he’d have to try and regain his ability to speak. Weakly, he mumbled incomprehensible phrases until finally he came up with what he wanted to say. As loud as he could, ignoring the taste of blood from his tormented throat he shouted at the cluster of figures in front of him.

“T-Take me! Just fucking take me! Leave him alone! B-Black Hat…”

He wanted so badly to reach out and hug his boss but there was nothing he could do. Even in a room full of people he was completely and utterly alone. And above all, unheard.


	4. 9:40 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Black Hat starts to get bored, and Demencia gets creative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! I'm back! For now. Sorry my upload schedule has been so out of whack recently--and I know, I say that every time. It's the same stuff. Anxiety, personal issues, blah blah I'm sure you've heard it. I've found some stuff to help with my anxiety and it seems to be working so hopefully with that I can churn out more chapters! Buuuuut that's not changing the fact that I'm having lots of trouble with Dissatisfied. I think it's one of those things where you think you can't do it so you don't try anymore. Yeahhhh. I'll take a look at it right after I post this and see what I can come up with. In the meantime, you can always check @snickeratthedead on tumblr for updates on how things are going (and the occasional art based off of my fics~)  
> Anyhoo I think I've wasted enough time so g'bye for now folks! If you've got any questions or writing requests dump 'em in the comments or submit them to the blog mentioned above. Love y'all!

_ [9:40 AM. Flug has been screaming my name. It seems that he believes me to be in some form of trouble. Again, no matter what I say or do it’s either assimilated into his hallucination or ignored entirely. I can no longer recall how long Flug told me this would last. I hope it’s not much longer. He’s extremely irritating in this state.] _

The shouting had been getting increasingly louder as time went by, Flug struggling against his bonds like his life depended on it. Or more like Black Hat’s, as far as Flug was aware. The eldritch failed to understand why this was of such importance to the other, or why he believed that it would even be possible for someone as powerful as himself to be in danger in the first place. It was utterly impossible. Black Hat tapped his foot against the padded floor with dull and rhythmic thumps. As entertaining as something like this could be, he was beginning to get bored. It was so repetitive. He could only watch Flug suffer for so long before it became the norm, and thus no more amusing than examining the abnormalities of a brick wall. Much to his disappointment he didn’t remember the scientist saying anything about an antidote or at the very least something to lessen the effects of the serum. As such, he was to deal with this for assumedly quite some time. He supposed that perhaps he could prepare for the aftermath of such an event. Maybe he could get 505 to gather up some food and drink. Flug would be exhausted from all the screaming and struggling. He wouldn’t be surprised if the inside of his throat was abraded by now. Hopefully it wasn’t beyond repair, or Black Hat would have to waste even more of his time on healing it somehow. All in all, this entire predicament was absolutely ridiculous. Why couldn’t he have had Demencia capture some hero or plain civilian from off the street? Then again, nobody had the gall to walk anywhere near the manor nowadays. That was the hotspot for murder mysteries and strange, ‘unsolved’ disappearances that everyone unanimously solved of their own accord. They just wouldn’t admit it for some odd reason.

Black Hat was like the bogeyman in that way. Someone that most people in the world outside villainy refused to believe truly existed. He rarely left a trace after all. Clean kills by a group of incomprehensibly evil beings that were completely off the grid and had been for what must have been decades. Nobody could pinpoint exactly when any of this started. Black Hat had just always been there, it seemed. Some considered him to be the devil himself, borne from darkness upon the creation of the universe. The eldritch himself, of course, found this highly amusing. But that was besides the point.   
Flug continued to squirm and holler at the empty air in front of him whilst Black Hat mused about the situation and whatever other cruel and despicable thoughts entered his mind. Whether his words were having any effect on the invisible heroes that tormented him and his equally unreal companions was unclear. Not like his employer cared in the slightest, anyways. He only ever paid attention every once in awhile so he could write down his observations.

_ [10:02 AM. Flug is still going, but his struggling is growing weaker and his voice is hoarse. His human emotions of compassion and desperation seem to keep him going, however. Disgusting.] _

 

\---

 

“ _ Alright, alright. Think, Demencia! Think! _ ”

The girl spoke to herself as she paced back and forth in the all too familiar hallway. She had lost track of how long she had been there. It was as if the manor just wanted her to suffer for an eternity. Was this Black Hat’s way of keeping her from Flug, or what? Was he even at fault for this? The manor did have a mind of its own but it rarely acted of its own accord. Maybe now that Black Hat was distracted it took this as an opportunity to mess with her and 505. That had to be it. She just had to find a way to outsmart the manor. But how in the nine levels of hell could that work? The hybrid kicked a wall in frustration. And then, it hit her. Since when did she have to follow the rules? Her boss didn’t have the time to punish her or even notice right now, so she could cause as much chaos as she wanted. She could bust down every single wall and he probably wouldn’t see it. So why was she obediently going through room after room and vent after vent when she could just bust out? And so Demencia charged head-on into the wall. The weak plaster cracked easily and she all but fell through into another room. Thankfully this wasn’t one that she recognized. Perfect! She could get on with her search. Demencia rocketed to her feet and sprinted in a random direction before the manor had time to adjust. Within minutes she found herself in another hall that barely even matched the rest of the manor. Now, whatever poltergeist or demon possessed the manor it was certainly one that enjoyed having a theme; which could mean only one thing. Someone else had created this area. It had to be Black Hat! He was the only one that would even have the power to do that. She was getting close. A soft ‘Baroo?’ tore her from her thoughts and a wide grin crossed her face.

“ _ 505! _ ”

She shouted, running to her lost companion and burying her face in his fur. 

“ _ Oh you have no idea what happened! I got lost in a section of the manor and I couldn’t get out no matter what I did and I swear I spent HOURS in there but eventually I decided to crash through the wall and- _ ”

The hybrid was interrupted with a gentle paw on her face. When it was removed 505 pointed to the door he had been standing in front of. A fortified metal door stood in front of the both of them. What could possibly be inside? Demencia turned to the bear again.

“ _ Do you think that Flug is in there? _ ”

She was met with a nod. Then again, that did make sense. If the hallucinations got too strong who knew what Flug would do. He’d probably be fighting back against them. On top of that, Black Hat said that he would be supervising the scientist, and he was the only one that could have created this new section of the manor. Demencia gasped and looked at the door with a combination of worry and interest.   
“ _ We have to find a way to get in! Do you think there’s a key or something? _ ”

505 pawed at the door. There was nothing on it. No sign of a doorknob or even a keyhole. Demencia wrinkled her nose.

“ _ What kind of door is that then? How would they have even gotten in? _ ”

That, of course, was an easy question to answer. Black Hat didn’t need a key or a knob to open a door. She had seen plenty of cases of doors opening and closing without the eldritch even touching them. Though Flug would love to deny it she knew it was some form of magic. Flug was still trying to find a scientific explanation. Man, all this thought of Flug was just making her feel worse. She had to at least get in so she could make sure that he was okay. The hybrid paused, tapping a finger against her chin.

“ _ Do you think that we could just knock? I mean, Hattie did tell us to be polite. _ ”

505’s flower bobbed as he gave a shrug.

“ _ Worth a try! _ ”

Demencia chirped, and all but slammed her fists into the door.

“ _ HEY BLACK HAT! _ ”

Her companion winced. That was certainly not polite. Regardless of whether it was or not, nobody on the other side offered a response. Demencia shrugged.

“ _ Maybe it’s soundproof or something. That’d explain why we can’t hear anything. Hmmm… _ ”

She rapped idly on the door then perked up.   
“ _ We just have to be louder! _ ”

The bear beside her groaned, but knew he had no choice in the matter. They were going to go on another wild goose chase. Boy oh boy, was this going to be a long day.


	5. 10:50 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author has some mercy on Flug... sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH I know I've been taking a long time with chapters recently! I've been distracted by a lot of rps and drawing... I'm also working on another fic but I'm not sure if I should start publishing that one cause I feel like that would make people be splitting their attention a lot or something?? Honestly my reasoning is bullshit. So like... Ok I'll post that in a minute. Should I post both chapters I have? I'll post one for now until ya guys say otherwise.

THUNK.

Another pot hit the door. Demencia had been throwing pots, pans, and whatever else she could find at the heavy door to make noise with little success. Not with making noise, of course. It was insanely loud. But it didn’t seem to be getting anyone’s attention. Even coupling her screaming with 505’s roaring didn’t help. This was fruitless labor. Were they really going to have to wait until this was over? How long would that be? Flug had never said, and she hadn’t read his plans in very much detail so she wouldn’t know either. This was ridiculous. Maybe there was some cure or something! Or at least blueprints for one. Flug wouldn’t have made a serum without some kind of antidote, right? It was worth a shot.

“ _ 505, we have to go to the lab! I have an idea. _ ”

And with that she dashed out of the unfamiliar hallway and into the parts of the manor that they were both more familiar with, leaving a haphazard pile of kitchen supplies behind. 

 

\---

 

Black Hat was nothing more than a pile of meat on the ground by now, his black blood pooling on the floor. He was still being kicked and prodded like some sort of toy or fucked up science experiment.

“S-Stop…”

Flug muttered weakly, but of course nobody listened to him or even showed any signs that he had been heard. The only person that had acknowledged him was the eldritch, who stared at him with a hollow gaze that would forever haunt him. Flug felt bile rise in his throat again as he saw one of the heroes drag their dog in to let them feast on the remains. His tears had run dry but his chest still heaved with weak sobs. Black Hat was completely still. 

“You’re n-not dead…”

He murmured.

“You’re not…”

There was no response. God, when would this end? 

“ **This is getting annoying, you know.** ”

The mangled body spoke. So he was okay! Had it not been for their current situation Flug would have been overjoyed. As for now he was relieved that his employer was alive, but he still felt bad that the other could still feel pain. At least he would have been done with it had he been dead or unconscious. Though, that comment. Did that mean that he was okay?

“ **It’s been almost four hours.** ”

Four hours? Four hours since what? Black Hat hadn’t been there for four whole hours, right? That didn’t make sense… and how did Black Hat sound so calm when he didn’t even have his powers? His employer was great and all but could he really keep his cool when he was completely helpless? Something was wrong here. What had he done four hours ago, dammit? What had he been doing this morning? Why was it so hard to remember? All he knew was that he got captured by heroes somehow. But there had to be something else, right?

“ **At least it seems like you can hear me now. Just wake UP, pinche idiota!** ”

Wake up? Wake up from-... oh. Everything came back to him. The serum. He had drank the serum. This was all some goddamned hallucination, based off of his fears like he had made it to be. Dammit, he’d have a lot of questions to answer after this… but if he could hear Black Hat now then that meant it was at least beginning to wear off, right?

“A-Are you really… okay?”

He croaked, looking around for where Black Hat actually was in the room. He saw a shadowy figure approaching but it was difficult to make out. It wasn't difficult, however, to feel the harsh slap that landed across his face.

“ **OF COURSE I’M ALRIGHT! THE ONLY THING I AM IS BORED OUT OF MY MIND!** ”

Surprisingly enough, Flug didn't cower in fear like he normally would. Instead he launched himself at the eldritch and hugged him tightly. Or at least, as best he could with the chains still holding him back.

“Thank god you're okay…”

Black Hat stared down at Flug in disbelief but for some reason couldn’t muster the willpower to pry him off. With a sigh of defeat he resigned himself to remaining in the other’s arms. At least this meant the serum worked. But why was Flug seeing him in the hallucinations? What was that about? Wasn’t it supposed to target his deepest fears? Flug was intelligent. A genius, even. He should be aware of how Black Hat being captured was nigh impossible. So what was going on? He stayed silent for a while before finally speaking up again.

“ **Flug.** ”

The scientist looked up at him with teary eyes, sniffling and pulling away to brush away the tears that had gathered beneath his bag. It was already damp, but he didn’t want it to get bad enough that it would start to rip. Black Hat sighed and undid the restraints.

“ **Come to my office once you’re cleaned up. We need to talk.** ”

And with that, he turned and exited the room. He stood in disbelief at what he saw in the hallway, then started to shout.

“ **DEMENCIA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!** ”

Flug smiled beneath the paper. Everything was back to normal again.

 

\---

 

The pair sat across from each other in silence, neither of them knowing exactly what to say. Black Hat was the first to speak.

“ **...Why me?** ”

Flug looked up and adjusted his goggles nervously.

“What do you mean?”

They both knew what he meant. Flug was avoiding the question. Perhaps even he didn’t know the answer, or perhaps he was afraid of it. His employer was determined to find out. He refused to let anything escape his knowledge. 

“ **Why did you think someone was hurting me? You said the serum fed off of the victim’s worst fears, didn’t you?** ”

Black Hat steepled his fingers and looked down at the other.

“ **Surely you’re intelligent enough to know that my capture is less likely than the end of the universe.** ”

Flug was about to respond when he was interrupted.

“ **And don’t even think about lying to me.** ”

Oh boy. Now he had to give the full answer, didn’t he… Flug winced and glanced away. He wasn’t ready to say any of this, but now he was being forced into it. Man, this was going to be hell. He had no idea how Black Hat would react! It was downright terrifying.

“ **Flug…** ”

Black Hat growled, voice raising slightly in a warning tone.

“I-I-”

The eldritch drummed his fingers against the desk. His piercing gaze seemed to stare right through the other and into the core of his being.

“I… It’s because I-… I l-…”

He swallowed thickly.

“I love you, Black Hat sir…”


	6. When time stops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which shit hits the fan--and the author finally delivers on their promise of a sandwich.

Complete and utter silence fell upon the room. That wasn't the answer Black Hat had expected. He didn't know what to say, or how he felt about it.  Emotions were things that he avoided dealing with as best he could. He could be angry, sure. Diabolical. Gleeful. But loving? Caring? That was far, far out of his comfort zone. Black Hat’s blank, almost unseeing expression remained for a painful minute or so before he finally composed himself. He straightened his tie--though it wasn't out of place--and managed a sneer. 

“ **‘Love’ is a disgusting human emotion that I will have nothing to do with. Whatever idiotic thoughts are going through that mind of yours, I demand you cease them immediately.** ”

Flug deflated. As he had expected.

“Of course… jefe.”

He had abandoned the usual suffix in exchange for something more formal. For some reason this made Black Hat… uncomfortable. All of this did. There had been something going on between him that he hadn’t even noticed until then. Some unspoken bond, some agreement. And he had just broken it. He didn’t know how to feel, and especially not how to react. Before he could say anything more, Flug had stood and was on his way out the door.

“I'll go work on making more of the serum.”

He didn't bother to close the door behind him. Black Hat watched him leave, unable to say anything at all. He felt empty. The eldritch waved and the doors closed on their own, blocking his view of the hallway. Why did love matter so much to him? This was ridiculous. He was Black Hat.  _ The _ Black Hat. And he was not going to let himself be controlled by this- this- whatever the hell was going on! But despite all these thoughts his chest was tight and his eyes stung. He reached up to rub his eye and see if something was stuck there, only for it to come off slick with something. Was he crying? No, he couldn't be. Villains didn't cry. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief and dried off his face, but when he looked in the mirror it was still flushed and puffy. It was obvious what had happened. The eldritch sighed and got back to work. It'd fade eventually.

 

\---

 

Flug entered the lab only to find Demencia and 505 rifling through his prototypes and past projects. What the hell? He stood there in disbelief for a moment before exclaiming and waving walking over to pry a ray from Demencia’s hands.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Instead of getting a straight answer he found himself in a tight hug, which 505 quickly joined.

“ _ You’re okay! _ ”

Flug winced at the contact, not exactly wanting it at the moment. He was near panic already. He needed time alone. For now he swallowed his words and forced a smile for their sakes. It'd be easier if he didn't make them worry any more than they were already. 

“I-I I'm- yeah, of course I'm okay.”

He pulled away the second he could, returning to the counter with his blueprints and starting to mix chemicals. However, Demencia didn't plan to let him off that easily. She bounded over to him and leaned on the counter dangerously close to the chemicals he was dealing with.

“ _ What happened? Why were you locked in a room with Black Hat? Did you guys- _ ”

Flug’s entire body tensed at the implication and he straightened, turning to look at her with a fiery gaze that went unseen from beneath his goggles. 

“STOP IT!”

He all but shoved her away, not even realizing what he had done until moments after. Flug cowered, trembling as he held his hands protectively in front of his face.

“I-I’m sorry I didn't m-mean-”

Surprisingly enough, Demencia nodded and backed off.

“ _ It's alright. You're still shaken up. I'll come back later, okay? _ ”

Flug sighed but gave an affirmative, waving his two visitors off. When he heard the lab door close he relaxed immediately and slouched over his project. He just needed to be alone right now. After several chemical spills and vigorous hand washings he decided that he couldn’t do anything right at the moment. His entire body was trembling. As little as he wanted to do so, he needed to take some time to deal with his emotions. Flug slipped off his gloves, reaching under his bag to wipe the tears from his eyes. Oh, right. The majority of them were caught inside his goggles, filling them up until he felt like he was underwater. The doctor hesitated before removing the bag and goggles with quaking hands. He shed his tainted labcoat and wiped at his eyes with the rough fabric of his shirt sleeve. Why had he thought that saying any of that had been a good idea? Of course Black Hat reacted terribly. Since when did he want anything to do with human emotions, especially  _ love _ of all things? He was just being an idiot. 

 

\---

 

He was just being an idiot. Black Hat dragged a hand down his face and shut off the monitors. Why did all this talk of love upset him so much? He wasn’t like any normal human. He wasn’t human at all, so why should petty emotions like love mean anything to him? They didn’t. That was the simple answer. They didn’t mean anything at all. Anything that was going on in his mind saying otherwise was just a complete and utter lie. Being with so many disgusting, emotional humans had made him go soft. He just had to get his edge back, and everything would be fine. Maybe he could go out and destroy a village or something. Eradicate some pesky hero. That would make everything better, right? A distraction. That was all he needed. He took a deep breath and adjusted his clothes, pushing the doors to his office open. He was going to go on a little outing. 

But first.

Black Hat made his way to the kitchen and began to gather some ingredients. Bread, cheese, ham, tomatoes, and lettuce. He stacked them all together in a  _ very _ specific order before topping it with an ungodly amount of mayonnaise, then sticking in a toothpick with a single olive. Perfect. Now that his creation was complete, he set it on a plate and left it on the counter in plain sight. This wasn’t for himself, of course. Oh no. The eldritch moved to grab a post it note, writing in plain lettering:

_ [All yours, Flug. _

_ BH <3] _

And with that, he left the house on an expedition to ruin some people’s lives.


End file.
